Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Her Reputation Precedes Me

About three weeks ago, I started noticing occasional visits to The Panopticon via Ravelry. If you knit, and you're reading this, you probably know about Ravelry. If you don't, here's a quick briefing:

These two nice people decided it would cool, and perhaps profitable, to launch a Web space for knitters that would allow them to create profiles (like MySpace), catalog their stuff (like Librarything), and interact with other people (like the Knitty boards, et al.).

The two nice people wanted a couple hundred beta testers to play with the shiny new (if still incomplete) toy so that they could make it run properly before asking the general knitting public to step inside.

Knitters beat a path to their homepage so quickly, and in such numbers, that it tore a gash in the fabric of the universe and temporarily reversed the flow of the Mississippi, the Ganges, the Nile, and the Rio de la Plata.

At present, "Where are you on the Ravelry waiting list?" is a question as much on the lips of the knitting community as "Did you finish yet?" was among Harry Potter fans last week.

Those who have been let past the velvet ropes are known to be enjoying themselves heartily on the dance floor. Occasional squeals and giggles heard through the door suggest a level of orgiastic delight akin to the parties thrown in Rome just before it fell. Those of us still waiting on the sidewalk are doing our best to be patient. Fortunately, we brought our knitting.

The proprietors are wisely employing a strict policy of only inviting new users according to their places on the waiting list. As one commenter over on Stephanie's blog said, "If they made you wait, we know there are no exceptions."

As of today, I'm 11,565 [edited. oops. originally published with wrong number] on the list. In front of me are 4,107 people. Behind me are 10, 198 people. Ten thousand one hundred ninety eight. The number keeps rising; even as those ahead of me havebeen allowed in, the total percentage of admitted applicants has held steady at about 33%.

I will admit I've been damned curious about what's happening in there, particularly since it's started sending folks over here. I'm reminded of an episode in middle school when one of the boys discovered one could hear conversations in the girls' toilets via a transom window facing the playground. He took to hanging about under the window, trying to find out if they were talking about him. (They were. They were saying, "Why is that little dickhead always trying to listen to us while we pee?")

Here's one thing I do know, and it makes me nervous as hell: Dolores is already in there. Naturally. She's already got her own fan club, the Dolores Devotees, complete with their own badge and banner.

Madam is over the moon. I can't get her away from the computer, and every time I come into the room she closes the browser and pretends to be deeply engrossed in a spreadsheet.

Something is amiss on the ravelry antsy page... I just checked my list status and its saying that I'm 7359 and some on the list, and that there are only 64 people before me on the list... so you should have been invited AGES ago!

It has been great seeing all the new features as they have been added. Some get over looked and then one day I see it is there. Then I wonder how long it has been up. Those coming later will have the benefit of being able to just jump in and have fun. At first when things were being added to the database (patterns, yarns,..) it was hard to see how this was going to be cool - but the more I go in - It is mind bogglingly cool!

I have signed up for Delores' group, but waiting for you. Meanwhile we will try to keep the partying down to a dull roar till then.

Franklin, I am a faithful reader but first-time commenter to your blog. I LOVE Ravelry, and I can't wait to see you on the other side. To anyone who hasn't received your invitation, it is worth checking out the "antsy" page. When I did, a couple of weeks ago, I learned that my invite had been issued weeks earlier but must have been gobbled up by my spam filter.

Regarding your dating post - I was going to say that you'd like my friend who lives in LA but didn't. Sent him your post and just got his response - 'I *love* that he posted a picture of Little Edie from Grey Gardens. Genius' Maybe you two would make good friends after all. If you're ever in LA, let me know...

Ravelry is great for a geeky, organized, knitter like me (and you). I'm still in the process of getting my virtual house in order but love how I can keep track of my knitting stuff, my knitting mates and see pictures of wips all in one spot.

Your description of Ravelry is the best I've seen so far, and also INCLUDED the waiting list information. (Most others who talk about Ravelry forget to mention the waiting list, and Ravelry gets hate mail! Can you believe!?!)

According to all the stats, whatever fun people are having on Ravelry now is only about a third of the fun to come. Looking forward to it!

I got in a couple of weeks ago. It's really a lot of fun, and I'm only just in up to my ankles in the pool of Ravelry. I'd highly recommend photographing your stash, WIPs, FOs, and stuff like that BEFORE you get there, and put it all in your Flickr. You'll be set up nicely if you do.

If not, no big thang. We're all still waiting for you, and we'll squeal together, hold hands, and jump up and down when you get in!

You should be nervous. About Dolores in general, not her and Ravelry. But on her button there, that wiggly vertical line between the lettering and most of her face, going behind one of the lenses of her sunglasses, is that cigarette smoke or the outline of her face?

Oh, no, trust us, she's on best behavior. It's all going swimmingly, and it will be all peaches when you arrive. There'll be banners, and velvet couches, and she's been decorating your digs ever so tastefully. You'll see. Whatever could you be worried about?c

OMG! Thank heaven you mentioned the counter! Turns out they sent me my "in" email in early June and I didn't know. Okay, gotta go sign up and and check out stuff. I'm so excited, I'm about to hyperventilate.

Franklin, I can't believe I am 1.000 people ahead of you! (I thought, everybody I "know" was already in.) I will keep an eye out for Dolores when I am on the other side. Do you want me to report back to you?

Your fans have been wondering what Dolores has been up to, since news of her has been missing from The Panopticon lately. And I'm glad that your sense of humor has recovered from the latest visit to the dating world. It's got to be wicked out there!!

I'm #13178. Wasn't sure if it would be worth spending the time, but I got sucked in while surfing on the Fourth of July. It'll take a week to photograph my stash unless I opt to take a couple more days off.

Glad to have you back on the pages, sweeters. And yes, be very nervous whenever Dolores is on the computer at any time.

I thought you may be interested in knowing that NYC wants to set up their own Panopticon by placing 100+ security cameras in Lower Manhattan (similar to Britain's "Ring of Steel"). Quoting the article, "The city NEVER sleeps will now be the city that ALWAYS PEEPS." I predict that soon Dolores will gather up her small cadre of devotees and hit the road for the bright lights of NYC (even if those lights are attached to security cameras!).

Here is a link to the actual article: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/07/nyc-to-create-p.html

Well even if Delores beat you there, I think you will find the wait worthwhile .... and you best be glad your shawl is finished because Ravelry will suck every available second of your free time away for at least 2-3 weeks! I have popcorn and will wait by the velvet rope so you don't have to make time to stop in the concession stand when you finally get your ticket. You best visit the men's room first too.

I wondered where you were! Ravelry, it's changed my life (well.... it's eaten my time. A slow, quiet munching away at the clock sort of life changing experience). Dolores has been behaving herself. Of course, you'd know if she got out of hand and got herself arrested.

I got my Ravelry invite only a little while ago, and I find it's a pretty neat place. At first, before I applied to join, I was thinking that I had my blog to catalogue my projects, make friends, and all that, and I didn't need yet another site to do it all on. But I kept hearing so much, signed up, and now I admit it's pretty cool. It's definitely inspirational. Seeing all the projects that thousands of others are making often makes me want to make x-item of my own.

Recently, I got an e-mail which allowed behind the velvet ropes that is Revelry. Unfortunately I have not been able to fully explore it awsomeness, but plan to do so very soon. You will probably get lots more readers since we who do read you are going to put you on the blog that must be read list.

I have to join the dolores group! I got into ravelry a few weeks ago. Right now, my biggest complaint is that taking photos of my stash and projects mean that I use up my flickr memory for the month in about 3 days, and have to wait for the next month to post more pictures.

I can tell I'm not the only person doing this, because ravelry is much slower than usual today (Aug 1) . . .

Haha, I know what you mean. I'm so curious to see what's going on in there... unfortunately, I'm even lower on the list than you:*You are #17174 on the list.*9429 people are ahead of you in line.*5182 people are behind you in line.

Be nervous, be very nervous. What I can't believe is that I'm actually in there! It made me face my stash and realize that I'll never live long enough to catalogue it all. That is unless my unknown rich uncle passes and slips me a get of work forever with pay card.

Oh, Franklin, how does one KNOW where one is on the Raverly list? I'm immensely reassured that you're not yet in either -- but the question remains. I am surrounded by grandchildren who are bilingual in English and Chinese or Greek, respectively but not both at once, and converse with each other in ipod and gigabytes and I feel that life has still much to teach me.

Franklin, I am going to admit it here in public and make a total fool out of myself: I have no idea how one can tell where the traffic to one's blog or site is coming from. Where are the secret counters that tally up who's coming from where? Please if you could point me to something that can explain this to me, I would be most grateful.

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